Evaluación de la calidad del suelo en agroecosistemas de montaña del Sumapaz, Colombia

This study evaluated soil quality in 50 agroecosystems in the Sumapaz province, Colombia, using the Minimum Data Set (MDS) model and the soil quality index (ICSw). A quantitative, descriptive, and comparative approach was adopted, considering physical, chemical, and biochemical soil variables across three agroecological zones defined by an altitudinal gradient. Statistical analysis included Principal Component Analysis (PCA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey’s post hoc test, and bivariate correlation analysis. Significant differences among zones were observed for pH, organic matter (OM), bulk density (BD), and penetration resistance (PR) (p < 0.001). The high-altitude zone exhibited higher OM values ​​and lower BD and PR values, whereas the low-altitude zone showed the opposite pattern. The ICSw also showed significant differences among zones (p < 0.001), with values ​​of 0.730 ± 0.060 for the high-altitude zone, 0.456 ± 0.045 for the middle-altitude zone, and 0.192 ± 0.044 for the low-altitude zone. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between OM and catalase activity (r= 0.72; p < 0.001). The results indicate that integrating the MDS model with the ICSw enabled the synthesis of variability among soil indicators and provided a comparative measure of soil quality across the studied agroecosystems.